2021-03-10 01:11
Tall cache that used to stand at Pioneer Park in FairbanksIn modern Alaska, elevated storage caches (sometimes called fish or bear caches) typically consist of small rustic log cabins built… Read More
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Sketches Of Alaska Blog
sketchesofalaska.com
Ray Bonnell's art and ramblings around the North Country
2021-03-09 00:06
A portion of the Alaska Military Telephone Line along the Alaska Highway near the Canadian borderThe Alaska Highway, built in 1942, was not the only World War II-era construction proje… Read More
2021-03-08 18:09
Cordova's old Post Office and Courthouse building as it looked in 2019A 196-mile-long mining railroad, the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, once connected the port of Cordova in P… Read More
2021-03-07 20:14
Holy Family Cathedral in 2014In early 1915, anticipating construction of the Alaska Railroad, hundreds of job seekers hastily erected a boomtown along Ship Creek in Upper Cook Inlet. Many in… Read More
2021-02-28 20:27
The Arctic Aeromedical Lab building in Fairbanks, now the Fairbanks offices for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.Alaska has been a U.S. pos… Read More
2021-02-28 20:05
Potter Section House as it looked in winter 2018-2019Potter Section House is at Mile 115.3, Seward Highway, near the mouth of Turnagain Arm and just south of Potter Marsh. Sitting adjacent t… Read More
2020-05-22 18:59
Fuller Thompson cabin at Scottie Creek in 2019. Thompson was a big-game guide and he and his wife were among the first homesteaders in the Scottie Creek area.Scottie Creek crosses the Alask… Read More
2020-05-18 06:37
The Copper Valley Community Library, originally the Alaska Road Commission headquartersin Glennallen, as it looked in the 1970s.Glennallen, situated at the junction of the Glenn and Richards… Read More
2020-05-13 05:16
The CR&NW messhall and bunkhouse in Chitina in the 1980sThe two buildings shown in the drawing are in Chitina. They were built as a messhall and bunkhouse for the Copper River and… Read More
2020-05-09 00:50
Engine No. 52 was the firstlocomotiveon the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway. The drawing shows No. 52 as it looked in 2011, sitting on a siding in the Skagway train yard.In the sum… Read More
2020-05-07 03:23
Rusty Heurlin's studio in Ester in the early winter of 2017The cabin in the drawing was the studio for Alaska painter, Magnus Colcord “Rusty” Heurlin. Matthew Reckard, the artist… Read More
2020-05-04 07:30
College Station, at the bottom of the hill below the Alaska College of Agricultureand School of Mines at Fairbanks in the mid-1920s.The four miles between the University of Alaska and… Read More
2020-04-13 19:37
Downtown Hope in 2014According to the 1915 U.S.G.S. report, Geology and Mineral Resources of Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, the only recorded instances of Russian gold exploration in Alaska occurr… Read More
2020-03-20 19:17
Van Gilder Hotel in 2012The community of Seward, at the northern end of Resurrection Bay, had an auspicious start in 1903 when developers with the Alaska Central Railway (ACR) landed at the… Read More
2020-03-17 23:34
This is a reprint of Kris Capps column in this morning's edition of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner newspaper.To see the column I wrote eight years ago about the Masonic Temple click he… Read More
2020-03-16 00:43
Chickaloon bunkhouse at Alpine Historical ParkChickaloon is a small community located just off the Glenn Highway, about 75 miles northeast of Anchorage. Prior to Western contact the ar… Read More
2020-03-11 12:28
It may surprise people that the picturesque fishwheels that are so much a part of Interior Alaska life, and so often associated with Athabascan Indian culture, are not indigenous to Alaska o… Read More
2020-03-09 06:15
Wellhouse at Tanacross YCC camp in 2012The small log cabin shown in the drawing is the last vestige of the Bureau of Land Management's Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) camp at Tanancross… Read More
2020-03-07 21:28
This painting shows the Sullivan Roadhouse, which was about 278 miles from Valdez (86 miles from Fairbanks). John and Florence Sullivan (veterans of the Klondike, Nome and Fairbanks gol… Read More
2020-03-07 04:47
Kink River Bridge as it looked in 2017. This views is from the south side of the bridge looking north towards Palmer. When a New Deal agricultural resettlement project was established… Read More
2020-03-03 18:17
Old Chena townsite building as it was being prepped for the return trip to ChenaIn early 1901, months before E.T. Barnette’s party landed on the bank of the Chena River, George B… Read More
2019-12-18 08:22
Kulis Air National Guard Base in the early 1960s, with a Fairchild C-123J parked in front.According to National Park Service documents, Alaska’s first Air National Guard unit, th… Read More
2019-08-30 01:39
Hazelet's house in Cordova as it looks todayGeorge Cheever Hazelet was a resident of Omaha, Nebraska when news of the Klondike gold strike reached the contiguous United States in 1897. Even… Read More
2019-05-09 17:29
The Red Dragon, a Christian social club run by the Episcopal Church, as it looked in 1909. The drawing is based on a photo in the Walter and Lillian Phillips photograph collectio… Read More
2019-03-26 17:29
In 1929, C.W. Cash, a sales representative for Northern Commercial Company, traveled through Interior Alaska visiting prospective customers. While at Manley Hot Springs, a small isolated co… Read More
2019-03-17 19:56
This is a painting by Marge Gull depicting Beal’s Cache, at approximately 257 miles on the old Valdez-Fairbanks Trail (about 108 miles from Fairbanks). It was located south of Big Del… Read More
2019-03-14 18:30
Manager's house at Matanuska Experiment Farm in 1918. The drawing is based on a photograph in the Alaska Engineering Commission collection at the Anchorage Museum Read More
2019-03-11 07:32
In 1914, the U.S. government was finalizing plans for a railroad connecting the Pacific coast of Southcentral Alaska with Fairbanks in Interior Alaska.President Woodrow Wilson had not yet d… Read More
2019-03-10 07:50
2019-03-04 06:55
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church as it looks todaySt. Nicholas Orthodox Church, 326 Fifth St., Juneau, is the oldest continually-used Orthodox church in Southeast Alaska, and the only surv… Read More
2019-03-01 04:09
This is a painting by Marge Gull of Birch Lake Roadhouse, also known as Chisolm’s Roadhouse. It was located about 63 miles from Fairbanks (306.4 miles from Valdez) in the vicinity… Read More
2019-02-28 08:07
Herning/Teeland store as it looked in 2015. Except for the side deck and the front signage, the building looks much the same today as it did when Orville Herning owned it in the early 1900… Read More
2019-02-24 07:48
Old St. Nicholas church in Eklutna as it looked in the 1980sEklutna, 25 miles northeast of Anchorage on the east shore of Upper Cook Inlet’s Knik Arm, is a small Dena’ina… Read More
2019-02-19 04:02
Partly cloudy and about 20 degrees F. Lovely night for a full moon Read More
2019-02-16 06:42
The airship Norge at Teller, Alaska in 1926. The drawing is based on a photograph in the Kay Kennedy Aviation Photograph Collection at the UAF Archives Read More
2019-02-12 09:03
2019-02-11 07:18
Larson & Wendler Grocery as it looked in 1916. Anton (A.J.) Wendler owned a brewery at Valdez in 1915. However, with the temperance movement gaining traction in Alaska A.J. decide… Read More
2019-01-28 05:30
Palmer UPC as it looked in the 1980s. The church is also called the "church of a thousand trees."The federal government finalized plans in the spring of 1935 to relocate families from… Read More
2018-09-05 02:27
Colors are turning here in Interior Alaska. I took this photo on a blueberry picking expedition up the Steese Highway on August 30th Read More
2018-05-19 06:18
A small industrial locomotive in front of the railroad depot in Palmer is a reminder of the Matanuska Valley’s coal-mining past. Engine No. 5 is a narrow-gauge Baldwin 0-4-0T saddleta… Read More
2018-05-06 03:58
The Comstock Cabin on Eldorado Creek in 1994. This cabin was built in the mid 1950s.Kantishna’s Eldorado Creek, as opposed to the 26 other Eldorado Creeks listed in the &l&helli…Read More
First Friday At Fairbanks Distilling Company--Friday, January 5th, From 4-8 PM At 410 Cushman Street
2018-01-02 06:46
2018-01-02 05:16
The Church of the Holy Assumption is an Orthodox church in Kenai. In Alison Hoagland’s book, “Buildings of Alaska,” she describes it as a dramatic and well-proportioned bu… Read More
2018-01-02 01:13
We were down in Juneau for a few days last week. Saturday morning we went out to Mendenhall Glacier. Most of the area was still in shadow (hense the blue cast to the photos). The hillsides w… Read More
2017-10-25 02:46
My front yard with the dusting of snow we have received so far this winter. It is supposed to get up to almost 40 degrees in the next few days, so who knows what the yard will look like this… Read More
2017-10-03 16:21
Another view of Denali from our recent road trip to Anchorage and back. This was taken mid-afternoon from about Mile 205 of the Parks Highway, a few miles southwest of Cantwell.This is one o… Read More
2017-10-02 18:27
We dove from Anchorage to Fairbanks yesterday. Gorgeous day--Denali was out in all its splendor. This panorama is from the Denali Viewpoint North Wayside at Mile 162.7 of the Parks Highway Read More
2017-09-15 06:46
My son Paul and I drove down to the new K'esugi Ken campground about a week ago to hike up the new Curry Ridge Trail to Lake 1787 (named for its elevation). Here is Paul at trail's beginning… Read More
2017-09-12 18:59
Several weeks ago Betsy and I drove down to the Kenai Peninsula for the weekend. We hadn't been there in about 15 years. While we were there Betsy let me check out a bunch of historic sites… Read More
2017-08-30 11:51
Old Army recreation cabin at Army Point on Lake LouiseLake Louise (Sasnuu Bene’ in Athabascan) is the eastern-most of a series of interconnected lakes on the Lake Louise Plateau at the… Read More
2017-08-02 05:45
Old Wasilla schoolhouse as it looks today.Before the Federal government began construction of the Alaska Railroad in 1914, there were only scattered homesteads in the Matanuska and Susitna v… Read More
2017-07-30 04:48
Milk vetch may be taking over Fairbanks, but fireweed can still be found in abundance if you know where to look. This fireweed is in a backyard along Second Street in Graehl Read More
2017-07-21 05:25
Interesting clouds I saw while at the Georgeson Botanical Garden tonight. These ripply, swirly clouds were at the leading edge of storm clouds moving into the area. They only lasted a few mi… Read More
2017-07-20 16:02
Looking northeast towards Birch Hill from the William Ranson Wood pedestrian bridge in downtown Fairbanks. I took this photo in a slight drizzle at about 6:00 AM Read More
2017-07-19 21:31
Mixed in with the highbush cranberries in our front yard are a few native monkshood plants. Just one plant appeared a few years ago--don't know where the seeds came from. There are now… Read More
2017-07-18 16:47
6:30 AM at the lagoon at the end of Hamilton Avenue in Fairbanks Read More
2017-07-16 02:22
This historic cabin is one of the few remnants of the Chistochiona Trading Post, which burned down in 1999Gold was discovered along the Chistochina River in late 1898 by argonauts originally… Read More
2017-04-27 19:26
About 14 miles southwest of Wasilla on the western shore of Cook Inlet’s Knik Arm lies the hamlet of Knik. Its history may be most linked with the 1910 Iditarod Gold Rush and the Idita… Read More
2017-02-26 21:57
2017-02-01 20:39
Warehouse at Livengood constructed by Livengood Placer, Inc as it looks todayThe building depicted in the drawing is an old warehouse near Livengood. Of heavy timber-frame construction, it h… Read More
2017-01-20 00:44
2017-01-09 04:30
I walked down to the Chena River last Thursday just before sunset. It had pretty much stopped snowing, but the wind was drifting in the tracks I had made just a few days before. Cold but inv… Read More
2017-01-02 21:12
I took this photo just before sunrise (about 10:45 AM) from the bank of the Chena River behind my house Read More
2017-01-01 06:17
Segment of Valdez-Eagle Trail at Eagle Trail State Recreation Site in Fall 2016In the wake of the Klondike Gold Rush, U.S. Army Captain P.H. Ray was sent to Alaska in 1897 to investigate rum… Read More
2017-01-01 00:33
I went tromping through the woods today. We received about 15 inches of fresh snow in the last couple of days, followed by winds last night that strewed snow, leaves, branches and what-not… Read More
2016-12-10 01:21
2016-11-11 17:54
Anchorage's Fourth Avenue Theatre as it looked in 1971A few months ago, a funeral was held in Anchorage for the city’s Fourth Avenue Theater, Austin “Cap” Lathrop&rs&hell…Read More
2016-11-09 20:31
I just picked up calendars from the printer. These calendars, including the cover drawing, feature 14 historic sites from Deadwood Creek near Central to Eureka Lodge along the Glenn Highway… Read More
2016-11-06 02:01
Berry Camp along Eagle Creek at about Mile 103 of the Steese HighwayClarence Berry was one of the “Kings of the Klondike,” that small cohort of early gold-seekers who made fortun… Read More
2016-04-29 00:16
Northside Grocery as it looked in 1969After 1939, when construction began at Ladd Field, and well into the 1950s, Fairbanks experienced a population explosion. Terrence Cole’s report… Read More
2016-04-18 04:43
This is the second of three roadhouses that operated at the former town of Richardson, about 75 miles south of Fairbanks—295 miles from Valdez. The first roadhouse, built by Jacob Samu… Read More
2016-04-15 17:34
The Tamarac Inn, a small motel that was built in the early 1950s, is currently undergoing renovation.The building was actually pieced together from surplussed military housing units from Lad… Read More
2016-04-14 16:21
The Hi-Yu mine as it looked in the 1990sAbout 25 miles northeast of Fairbanks sits one of the area’s most successful lode mines, now abandoned and decaying.The Hi-Yu mine is loc… Read More
2016-04-13 23:48
This is a belated post about the launch party for my new book, "Interior Sketches II. More ramblings around Interior Alaska historic sites. The launch party was held at my favorite books sto… Read More
2016-04-01 21:28
I was out this morning taking photos of old buildings when I came across a large ice-filled puddle. Since I had knee boots on I waded in to take photos of ice that had formed on the pu… Read More
2016-03-31 14:56
This is a painting by Marge of Overland Roadhouse. It was located four to five miles south of Harding Lake and was established in about 1909.By the 1920s the proprietor was also operat… Read More
2016-03-31 04:22
Vesper Wolves (from a dream)by Ray Bonnell What is sleepBut the hunting ground of the mindWhere the subconscious winnows the herdAnd vesper wolves haunt my dreams.Chest-high to a stand… Read More
2016-03-30 17:47
Chatanika Gold Camp as it looked in 1994On a southeast-facing hill just north of Mile 27.5 of the Steese Highway sits Chatanika Gold Camp. The camp used to be the Fairbanks Exploration Compa… Read More
2016-03-30 04:22
2016-03-29 04:01
Our last day in the Lower 48. We spent part of the morning walking around the old Boise railroad depot. The structure, built in 1925 by the Union Pacific Railroad, has a modified Spanish Col… Read More
2016-03-27 02:54
We spent the day in the area around Marsing, Idaho, south of Nampa. A friend, Woody Woodward, took us on a tour and we ended up at Leslie Gulch.Actually located in Oregon's Malheur County, L… Read More
2016-03-26 04:33
We stopped at Farewell Bend State Recreation Site along I-84 today. Travelers along the Oregon Trail bid farewell to the Snake River here and struck out cross-country towards the Columbia Ri… Read More
2016-03-25 04:36
Just a reminder. The launch party for my new book, "Interior Sketches II, more ramblings around Interior Alaska historic sites," will be held at Gulliver's Books on Tuesday, April 5th from 5… Read More
2016-03-25 04:14
A view of Highway 26 in Central Oregon, headed towards John Day Fossil Beds country. What little we saw of it looked great. However, a flat tire put us behind schedule and we couldn't stop… Read More
2016-03-23 21:33
Here are three more portraits from Jean Lester's "Faces of '84" series, done to commemorate 25 years of statehood. The series depicts 25 ordinary citizens of Fairbanks.Lois Meier taught scho… Read More
2016-03-23 00:51
On the way from Boise to Bend we took the Central Oregon Highway, US Route 20. We found a short abandoned section of the highway in the mountains east of Juntura. I thought it gave a nice fe… Read More
2016-03-22 04:31
We are in Idaho for a few days. This is a view of Ann Morrison park on Sunday, March 20th. Lovely spring day Read More
2016-03-22 04:06
There are only ten days left in my Cabin Fever Art Sale. Prices on the remaining drawings have been reduced to 30% off the regular price. Now is a great time to pick up one of my orig… Read More
2016-03-19 23:55
This is a painting by Marge of Munson's Roadhouse, about 40 miles from Fairbanks. The roadhouse was located near the confluence of the Salcha and Tanana Rivers, and was also called Salchake… Read More
2016-03-16 23:39
Fresh snow on wild irisSky, snow and birchWe've had warmer than normal temperatures lately, which has meant melting snow, slush puddles, and bare tree branches.Then, about a week ago, it re… Read More
2016-03-16 15:29
The Puhl house as it looked in about 1990. The houses and the barn behind it were built in 1935The log cabin shown in the drawing is the house where my wife, Betsy, grew up. Located at the c… Read More
2016-03-15 06:35
Every pen and ink drawing I produce is actually three or four drawings. Ideally, the first step is a pencil sketch, worked out on site, or from a photograph. I usually use B or d… Read More
2016-03-15 06:32
This goes with my post on producing pen and ink drawings. I've been asked what kind of pens I use, and I thought I would show all the tools I use.This first photo is of my mini-studio that i… Read More
2016-03-14 03:30
My Cabin Fever are sale is still in progress. Now is a great time to pick up one of my original Alaskan historical pen and ink drawings. Funds from this sale will go towards transportation t… Read More
2016-03-13 01:12
Bessie was one of the last Salchaket speakers and is buried in the Salcha Native cemeteryIn 1984, Ester artist and writer, Jean Lester, embarked on a project to paint portraits of 25 average… Read More
2016-03-12 04:21
This is a painting by Marge of Clark's Roadhouse, about 36 mils from Fairbanks. Clark's was evidently a short-lived establishment. According to the book, "The Trail, the Story of the Histori… Read More
2016-03-08 21:43
I snapped this photo of a fat-tire biker and his dogs yesterday. It was a sunny day and I stopped at the Graehl Landing Park near the Wendell Street Bridge for a few minutes. This guy came t… Read More
2016-03-07 06:05
Mark your calendars. The launch party for my new book, "Interior Sketches II, more ramblings around Interior Alaska historic sites," will be held at Gulliver's Books on Tuesday, April 5th f… Read More
2016-03-07 00:58
It has been a long winter, and its time for a little craziness. It's time for a Cabin Fever Art Sale!In the interest of trying to make some quick cash, for the next 30 days I am having a&nbs&hell…Read More
2016-03-03 08:45
1962 Kenworth truck with Holmes model 750 25-ton wrecker seen in Tok in 2011Tok, with 1300 residents, is the largest community in the Upper Tanana Valley in Eastern Interior Alaska. Athabasc… Read More
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